January 2011 - Southern Hemisphere

[arillady]

Wonderful range of colour hues Otto in the Hydrangeas.
I was going to post a couple of photos but they have strayed from where I thought I put them in my Nikon transfer.

[Paul T]

Otto,

Wow, those single vases are amazing.    Gorgeous range of Hydrangeas.

Thanks for showing us.

[fermi de Sousa]

Otto,
thanks for posting some pics. We couldn't come down for the Show - as it was we ended up shovelling sand and gravel to try to repair our driveway!

We don't grow many Dahlias (the bore water is too saline for them!) but we got this purple leaf form from one of the markets; could it be "Yellow Hammer"?


A "chive-like" allium we have in the Rock garden is Allium saxatile - it seeds around a bit and I now dead-head it.




cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

I forgot to post these earlier - Rainlilies responding to the weather!
The ubiquitous Habranthus tubispathus


Habranthus robustus "Russell Manning"

And a small "colony" of RM's offspring!


A cross between H. robustus and H. martinezii


Zephyranthes "Grandjax"




And finally Zephyranthes fosteri

cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Lovely stuff from DownUnder folks.

[Hoy]

Overwhelming!
But my vote goes to Habranthus robustus "Russell Manning"
It is on my "look-for-list" now!

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Interesting to see your Russel Manning.  I have that (or I think it might actually be a seedling ex RM) and the flowers are absolutely huge!!    But they never open out like the other species do, so they always look half closed.  Just like in your picture.  I love the Zeph. fosteri.  Great colour and shape.   Do you grow Zeph grandiflora as well?  I'm wondering what the differences between that and fosteri are.  My memory of grandiflora is similar to your fosteri I think, but obviously side by side they could be very different.

Thanks for the pics.  I hope the driveway reconstruction went well.

[angie]

Fermi
Some lovey flowers there I do love your Zephyranthes "Grandjax" wouldn't mind having that in my greenhouse.
Thanks for showing.
Angie

[arillady]

Found the elusive photos
The eremurus flowering in the garden but the one in a pot does not show any movement.
Funny to find Calochortus flowering so late and especially in the heat of summer. Not very good photos as it was the end of a very warm day.

[annew]

Exquisite markings on that Calochortus, Pat.

[Hoy]

Pat, I have for a long time wanted to grow Both Calochortus and Eremurus but the days here are usually too cold! And the winter too wet! Nice to see yours

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi,

Interesting to see your Russel Manning.  I have that (or I think it might actually be a seedling ex RM) and the flowers are absolutely huge!!    But they never open out like the other species do, so they always look half closed.  Just like in your picture.  I love the Zeph. fosteri.  Great colour and shape.   Do you grow Zeph grandiflora as well?  I'm wondering what the differences between that and fosteri are.  My memory of grandiflora is similar to your fosteri I think, but obviously side by side they could be very different.

Thanks for the pics.  I hope the driveway reconstruction went well.

Hi Paul,
my "RM" was from Murray Cubis when he ran "Discovery Bulbs" (now closed) and I think he said he'd actually grown it from seed so technically mine is also "exRM". However I've found the seedlings (see the pic) are slightly smaller and more like what I would consider straight H. robustus. The flower doesn't open into a star like many rain-lilies but remains a trumpet which makes it very much reminiscent of Amaryllis belladonna!
The Z. fosteri is smaller than Z.grandiflora which I find doesn't last in our garden (frost-tender?); the other one it is similar to is Z. macrosiphon and I may have confused the names!
Pat,
did you also get that Calochortus from Marcus? The red seems more pronounced than on ours.
cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Yes Fermi the Calochortus came via Marcus last year. When all the others are dried stems and seed pods it is good to have a flower.
Seems that I made a big blue. It was not an Eremurus but an Urginea. I get these two mixed as they seem similar.
I too have always wanted to grow Eremurus after seeing stunning ones in NZ. I keep trying seed but without success so far. You should have more luck with growing Eremurus as they seem to be mainly from higher altitudes than here.
The first Calochortus that I grew came as seeds from Allplains in the USA - having success with those I have tried to increase my collection over the years. Slowly!!

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Guys,

I am a very spasmodic participant in this forum and I don't believe I have ever properly introduced myself in the past. My name is Marcus Harvey and I own and operate a specialist mail order nursery business from Tasmania, the southern most state in Australia. My first love is crocus though iris run a close second but I am intersted in all bulbous plants and dryland perrenials. I have been growing these types of plants for 18 years and before that I was an exercise nut participating in triathalons and long distance running until I saw the light (and my feet started to hurt!)
I have travelled over much of Greece and a good deal of Turkey and only last year my partner (and cover artist) Suzie and I ventured into Greek Macedonia to climb the 3 big peaks there, Mt Falakron, Mt Vermion and Mt Kajmaktcalan (a Greek told me this is Turkish for Buttery Meadows).
This is my first try at posting pictures and these are just a few left in my camera so may not be flowering right now. So after a cursory read of Maggie's instructions here it goes. Fingers crossed.

The firsts is Eremurus himalaicus, then Allium "Globemaster", then Geranium macrostyllum, then Pelagonium endlicherianum and lastly a very good seedling of Origanum "Barbara Tingey".

[arillady]

Marcus it is great to see you here.